Frank Pica Sr. started making pizza in 1941. I like this saying from the first link: “If you look closely, you can see that small pizzas were $.75 and large pizzas were $1.00. (Those were the days.) The stairwell led upstairs to a “more formal dining room”, where men had to be accompanied by ladies in order to eat upstairs; house rules and no exceptions were made.”

Lol, the men had to be accompanied by the ladies in order to eat upstairs.

This was a pizza Steve enjoyed in the past. He never really watched a lot how they made them years ago and doesn’t even remember if they used a deck oven or not before, but does remember enjoying Pica’s pizzas. Steve hadn’t had a Pica’s pizza in a lot of years either.

This sure was a really different pizza. It is called a “square pizza”. I sure don’t know how they were made years ago, but found it very interesting watching how the dough is rolled out in a sheeter, then also automatically cut in the same machine. The dough is then place in a steel pan and the cheese is automatically applied by another piece of interesting machinery. I saw so many pies going into and out of those pieces of machinery and really wondered what was going to happen with all those pies. I sure didn’t see many of them getting baked in the conveyor oven. I would have taken more pictures, but the one guy was starting to give me the hairy eyeball.

This pizza was really different and really good. I was glad Steve took me to Pica’s pizza. I purchased this pie. Note the bottom lining in the box. I guess that is used so the crust doesn’t get soggy. This pizza was served piping hot.

I wonder if anyone ever tried to make any kind of pizza like this before on the forum.

Hey, my lovely wife Ann and I ate there about ten years ago after we said our goodbyes to her dearly departed Aunt Peggy, Norma. I forget what I had, however, since I know what I get like for both weddings and funerals.

Hey, my lovely wife Ann and I ate there about ten years ago after we said our goodbyes to her dearly departed Aunt Peggy, Norma. I forget what I had, however, since I know what I get like for both weddings and funerals.

Pete,

I also really liked this pizza and just had a reheated slice and it was even better than yesterday.

American? Hmm, I don't know. I thought either mozz or prov., but just thin slices for sure. The counter lady told us the whole process is automated. Dough, cheese, sauce, everything except the docking, boxing and slicing. I don't know about toppings. We only got a plain cheese.

American? Hmm, I don't know. I thought either mozz or prov., but just thin slices for sure. The counter lady told us the whole process is automated. Dough, cheese, sauce, everything except the docking, boxing and slicing. I don't know about toppings. We only got a plain cheese.

Ev,I only had it once and I am sure you have eaten a lot more than me. I will have to stop by again and take the sauce off.

I sure had a fun pizza trip. Steve asked me Monday if I wanted to go on a pizza tour. I am always up for trying new pizzas. I also enjoy visiting places I never was before. Steve knew all the areas like the back of his hand. He kept us from waiting on 76 with the long back up of traffic. He just whipped right off 76 and we got a scenic tour of the country side. If I would have driven who knows where we would have ended up at.

Thanks for posting what you and your wife thought. There is something complex going on in the slice I ate today. I have that one slice left for tomorrow. I will try to taste the cheese more.

Norma

Did you ever do any experimenting? I'm trying to come up with a crust first. I can get the sauce from them (hour and a half away) and try different cheeses. The dough is what I am trying to figure out.

Did you ever do any experimenting? I'm trying to come up with a crust first. I can get the sauce from them (hour and a half away) and try different cheeses. The dough is what I am trying to figure out.

Stavs,

No, I am sorry I didn’t do any experimenting on a Pica’s dough for the crust.

No, I am sorry I didn’t do any experimenting on a Pica’s dough for the crust.

Norma

Norma,

If you liked Pica's, another place to try in Philadelphia is Santuccis. They also make a square pie that is almost identical, except that their crust is a bit more crisp and firm (no flop). I grew up on Pica's (which has always been by #1), but I recently tried Santuccis, and dare I say I like it better.

If you liked Pica's, another place to try in Philadelphia is Santuccis. They also make a square pie that is almost identical, except that their crust is a bit more crisp and firm (no flop). I grew up on Pica's (which has always been by #1), but I recently tried Santuccis, and dare I say I like it better.

When I went there I ordered a large plain, which was a typical upside down square pizza. Cheese was under the sauce as in the attached pic. I grew up outside of philly, and to us, a tomato pie is anything that doesn't have cheese, and is just sauce on a crust. We also have "bakery pizza" which is a thick ready dough with what appears to be tomato paste on it, and might have some parmesan sprinkled on it lightly. The Santuccis I've been to is just like Picas, except for the crisper crust.